(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved structure of a paper pallet, and more particularly to a paper pallet structure that enhances material use efficiency and has high supporting strength.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Pallets are indispensable in manufacturing industries. The are used to support goods to be lifted by lifters and transported by containers. Conventional pallets are mostly made from wood. However, with the depletion of forests and following the trend of environmental conservation, it is getting more and more difficult to obtain timber or wood material. Therefore, paper pallets have been developed to take the place of wooden pallets.
FIG. 1 shows a paper pallet 1 of the conventional type. The paper pallet 1 is formed by a plurality of vertical supporting pieces 11 pressed and adhered together. Opposed insertion slots 12 are formed on the periphery by hollowing to facilitate insertion of forks F of a lifter for lifting purposes. Since the pallet 1 is formed by stacking multiple layers of corrugated paper. When the direction of insertion of the forks F is parallel to the adhered surfaces of the supporting pieces 11, the adhered surfaces of the supporting pieces 11 at the junction between the forks F and the pallet 1 will result in concentration of shearing stress. If the goods supported on the pallet 1 are excessively heavy, the structure of the pallet 1 will be damaged. More corrugated paper is therefore needed to form the pallet 1 in order to increase its structural strength. Besides, hollowing out the peripheral portion of the pallet 1 to form insertion lots 12 will produce more waste material.
FIG. 2 shows another structure of the conventional paper pallet. A paper pallet 2 includes planar supporting plate 21 and base plates 22 formed by stacking and adhering multiple layers of corrugated paper. Paper posts 23 arranged in a row are adhered to the supporting plate 21 above and the base plates 22 below. Since the area of adhesive contact among the supporting plate 21, the base plates 22, and the paper posts 23 is small, they may easily come apart. This type of paper pallet not only is inferior in structural strength but also unable to resist water or dampness. Furthermore, since the supporting plate 21 is formed by large-area corrugated paper adhered together and since recycled pallets are usually not intact, new corrugated paper is needed to form this type of paper pallet, which is not environmental friendly.